Three Stratford teens arraigned in Bridgeport slaying

Daniel Tepfer

Updated 10:20 am, Friday, November 2, 2012

BRIDGEPORT -- A swelling crowd tried to push its way into a Golden Hill Street courtroom Thursday for the murder arraignment of three Stratford teens, only to be turned away by a line of judicial marshals, state and local police.

Hoping to avoid the melee in court Wednesday when two local men were arraigned for the same crime, Superior Court Judge Earl Richards barred the courtroom doors, allowing only the defendants' mother to squeeze through.

Forced out to the front steps of the courthouse, where more police were standing guard, several young men yelled curses at the front doors.

"There are too many young boys with guns in this city, that's the crime," said one woman, who refused to give her name. "Put that in your newspaper."

Khaliq Brown, 17, Joseph Humphrey, 16, and Jaquan Williams, 17, were the latest arrests in what people at the courthouse said is a growing gang problem in the city. Residents said the latest gang-related killing on Tuesday was triggered by a comment on Facebook.

The three teens, who were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, were ordered held in lieu of $1 million and their cases were continued to Nov. 13.

On Wednesday, a melee broke out in the courtroom as their companions, Roshawn Robinson, 20, and Kayne Minor, 18, were arraigned.

Police said Nwalozie was walking along the street with some friends shortly after 5 p.m. when shots rang out from a passing red sport-utility vehicle with tinted windows. As Nwalozie lay dying in the street from a gunshot wound in the back he was urged by detectives to name his killer.

"It was a red Durango, there were two guns," he gasped before passing out. He later died at Bridgeport Hospital.

A short time later police pulled over the suv on Central Avenue. Inside they found the five young defendants.

Police said they also found two handguns.

Police know that at least two of the young men in the SUV were shooting at the victim but haven't identified them at this time.